On January 15th, 2026, the ETP SMR hosted a successful “Pitching Event” focused on boosting international collaboration in Raw Materials Research & Innovation. The virtual event brought together stakeholders from across Europe and partner countries, providing a strong platform for networking and strategic partnerships.

The event delivered on three key objectives: fostering International Partnership Development, exploring EU Funding Opportunities (including Horizon Europe 2026–2027 and the upcoming Raw Materials Partnership for the Green and Digital Transition – RAMP), and strengthening Academia–Industry Synergy.

Attendees benefited from opening presentations by Daniel Cios (European Commission – DG GROW), who outlined Horizon Europe 2026–2027 opportunities in raw materials, and Tobias Kampmann (Vinnova), who introduced the RAMP initiative.

The programme also featured pitches from Ignacio Herráez (Técnicas Reunidas) on hydrometallurgical solutions and REE recovery; Konstantinos Laskaridis (Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration) on national critical raw materials programmes; Maria Thornhill and Rolf Arne Kleiv (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) on sustainable mineral production; Philippe Giaro (ULiège-GeMMe) on georesources and extractive metallurgy; and Laura Quijano (Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster) on PERMANET and rare earth magnet extraction and processing.

The ETP SMR is pleased with the strong engagement and the promising collaborations initiated during the event, further reinforcing cooperation across the European raw materials community.